Pure
by EeveeAlchemist
Summary: Tara Rishimane has been tranferred to Amestris after touching a transmutation circle. After meeting the Elrics, she finally finds out how she has been transferred, and now all she wants is to set things right and go home. But to do so, Truth says she must become "Pure of Heart." Does this have something to do with her relationship with her stepmother? Or her habit of lying?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, Hiya! This is my first Fanfiction for FullMetal Alchemist, and my first time posting a Fanfiction on a website, so bear with me as I learn! This story was inspired by Lefay Strent's _The Blood Alchemist._ If I accidently copy off you Lefay (If you're reading this), Please tell me, I'll fix it immediatly. Enjoy, again, please bear with me as I learn! Disclaimer**: **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm kinda glad I dont, Ill leave the owning to the origional owners. XD**

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Pure

Chapter1

"Come on, Tara! Make yourself useful!"

The girl in question groaned in annoyance. Grabbing her schoolbooks, she raced towards her teacher at the front of the room. Figures this would happen today of all days. She had a report to present, and she had absolutely nothing done. Tara had tried to focus the night before, but she was quickly distracted by her favorite anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist. _Ed __and __Al __were __so __cool! __Although __Al __was __a __lo t__cooler_.. _Gah! __Look __at __you! _Tara scolded herself. _You__'__re __doing __it __again! _Refocusing, Tara trudged the rest of the way to the teachers desk. The teacher stared at her coldly. "Well?"

Gulping, Tara nervously whispered, "It's not done, Ms. Hartgel." Tara's unsaid plea for mercy was unheard. Ms. Hartgel leaned in close to Tara's face, her spectacles flashing ominously. "I'm disappointed in you, Rishamine. You're usually such a good little child..but now I suppose you've changed."

Tara opened her mouth, ready to angrily respond, but Ms. Hartgel wasn't finished. "You know the punishment. Detention, tonight. I expect to see you there straight after class."

Tara was left at the desk as Ms. Hartgel walked around collecting papers. Her mouth was gaping in horror. She had never received a detention before. This was bad. This was very bad. The detention itself wasn't the scary part. It was her step mom. Grades were very important to her step mother, and when they slipped, the punishments were fierce. Shuddering, Tara stumbled back to her seat. The whole way, she felt the stares of the other students burning into her skin, searing her humility until it screamed in pain. Slumping into her chair, Tara buried her face in her hands. _How __could __this __day __possibly __get __any __worse?_

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Unfortunately for her, Tara soon found out. When the day ended, she had made her way to the principal's office. There she had been forced to call her step mom. As predicted, the conversation did not go well. Tara wouldn't have been surprised if the 6th grade class down the hall could hear her stepmother screaming at her. No matter how much she begged, her stepmother had still grounded her for a month and promised more punishment when Tara got home.

Sighing, Tara trudged over to the small, lonely desk in the back corner. Since no one else was receiving detention that particular day, she had been sent to the principal's office. Now she sat there and waited impatiently for someone to give her something to do. The secretary typed away on her computer. The principal was nowhere to be found. So Tara fiddled with the desk. Lots of grafitti was written on it. But the one that interested her most was a picture of a familiar figure.

"I don't believe it! Someone's drawn a transmutation circle!" Tara exclaimed in surprise under her breath. Nervously, she scanned the room to make sure she hadn't been heard. But if the secretary had heard her, she made no sign of showing it. She just went right on typing. Letting out a small sigh of relief, Tara went back to examining the circle.

The lines were perfect. Almost as if.. Her hands reached for the circle.

Tara held them back. _No. __You__'__re __just __being __stupid __now. __There__'__s __no __way __that __this __is __a __real __circle. __Its __just __a __drawing. __Its __a __T.V. __Show, __for __crying __out __loud!_

_ Oh, __but __how __do __you __know? _Tara's conscious urged. _Just __try __it.._

Tara's hands made another lunge for the circle. Surprisingly, even to herself, she let them. She closed her eyes and let her fingertips gently touch the circle..

Nothing happened. Tara mentally hit herself for ever getting her hopes up. After all, it was all a story. No part of it was real. She took her hands off the circle and turned away.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of blue light. Tara gasped as a door appeared in front of her eyes. The door opened. Thousands of pairs of eyes stared at her on the other side of the door. She stared back at them. She knew what would happen next, but nevertheless wasn't prepared. Dozens of hands shot out from the door and securely grabbed Tara. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't escape their grasp. The hands pulled her closer and closer to the door. Tara took one last look at the classroom. Her eyes fell onto the secretary. The secretary turned to her..and _smiled._ Giving a wink, the secretary turned back to her desk, and Tara was pulled into the door, and lost consciousness.

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**Sooo...what did you think? Was it good? Bad? Need more? Stop writing, you're terrible? Please tell me, I want comments and concerns! (Just go easy please, this is my first time..)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, So I'm trying my best to update. But i'm kinda confused. Do I have to create a seperate file for each chapter? Or do I not? If you know, can you help by PMing me the directions on how to update a new chapter correctly? I'm not very smart, so..yeah. Anyway. Chapter two. Its a little slow in the beginning..so just bear with me. Enjoy.**

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Pure

Chapter 2

"Well this sucks."

Edward Elric was sitting on yet another train, traveling to yet another city, to complete yet another mission. He felt as though he never got a break. Military life for a 15 year old wasn't exactly the best life ever.

Across from him, Alphonse Elric, Edward's younger brother shifted in his seat, his armor creaking the slightest bit. Yes, Alphonse was made entirely of metal. Due to an unfortunate accident while performing a forbidden alchemic practice, Edward had lost his left leg and Alphonse had lost his entire body. In order to recover his brother's soul, Ed had given up his right arm as an offering, and had carved a blood seal into an empty suit of armor, where Alphonse now resided. Ed's right arm and left leg were now made of automail. Even though it was a pain to have to fix often, (not to mention the fact that his automail engineer, Winry, threw a wrench at his face every time he came back to Resembool with broken automail) it came in handy at some points.

The two brothers were now in search of a possible lead to their objective, the Philosopher's Stone. This stone was said to be able to perform even the taboo of alchemy, human transmutation. With this stone, the brothers hoped to get their original bodies back.

Alphonse looked up at Ed. "Don't be hateful, brother. It's better than having to walk everywhere, especially in a desert like this!"

Edward shrugged. "Guess you're right." Heaving a bored sigh, Edward tore his eyes away from the passing scenery and faced Al. "It would figure that Mustang would send me off on a mission when we were so close to having a lead. That idiot tries to take away my chances of finding the stone. He doesn't want us to find it."

Al sighed "Yeah, I know. But I don't think he does it on purpose, Brother." The person they were tracking down to get a lead had slipped out of their grasp when Mustang had called, summoning Ed to help retrieve some stolen documents.

Al tried to cheer up Ed. "What if there's another lead there? We could find a library, there might be one there." Ed shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I guess."

Ed turned again and put his head against the window. That turned out to be a big mistake on his part. _Screeeeech!_ CLANG! The train made a sudden emergency stop. This caused the train to lurch forward, also causing Ed to fly forwards and slam face-first into Al's metal knee. Slamming into a full metal suit of armor wasn't exactly the best feeling.

"Agh..," Edward grunted in pain. Sitting up slowly, he started to massage his face. He waited a few seconds, expecting Al to ask him if he was alright. However, no sound came from his brother. Taking down his hands, Ed looked up at Alphonse. Al was staring out the window. Then, without a single word, he got up and hurriedly left the train. This caught Ed by surprise. "Hey Al," He called after his brother. "Where ya goin?"

There was no answer from Alphonse. Ed shrugged. _Probably just saw another stray cat. But if he hides it in his armor again, I'm gonna kill him. We cant keep a cat.._

A voice blared from the speaker at the front of the train. "We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience that we may have caused our passengers." The conductor spoke into the microphone. Ed rolled his eyes, but listened intently. "A small explosion has made a tear in the tracks up ahead. We are working to repair it. Passengers may choose to wait until the construction is complete, or walk to their destinations. We apologize once again."

Ed frowned as the announcement faded with a small _click_. "Once again," He muttered to himself. "I say, this bites." Getting out of his seat, Ed walked off the train in search of Alphonse, grumbling the whole way about having to walk the rest of the way.

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~Alphonse's POV~

Alphonse knelt beside the figure in the sand. When the train had stopped, a flash of bright light has made him look out the window. Watching the light fade, he saw a figure, (a girl, by the looks of it) being gently laid onto the ground. Watching the girl, Al had waited to see if she would move or get up. When she hadn't, he had gotten worried and left the train to see if she was alright. Now he leaned down beside her, unsure of what to do now.

Al heard Edward calling a little ways away. He raised his hand to signal his brother over, not wanting to leave the side of the girl. Edward hurried over. "Well," He began, in a bored voice. "The train had to be stopped. Which means that, of course, we have to walk all the way to the nex- hey, who's that?"

Alphonse shrugged. How should he know? "No idea. I just found her. What do you think we should do, Brother?"

Ed thought. "We could give her over to Colonel Mustang, his royal ego would wake her up for sure."

Al gave him a look. Really, he thought. Ed, what an idea. Ed backed off at the look that Al shot him. "Okay, Okay! Maybe we should just take her to the train and wait until she wakes up."

Al nodded. That would work. Carefully, he turned the girl over onto her back. She had short brown hair that came down a little past her shoulders. She was wearing a blue shirt with a symbol on it and blue jeans. Alphonse stared at her for a while. He had never seen anyone like this. She was..different, somehow. Examining the girl, he peered at her shirt a bit more closely. That symbol on the chest of the shirt looked so familiar..wait. Alphonse looked at her chest, his red eyes widening slightly. Weren't flesh chests supposed to rise and fall with each breath?

He panicked. "Brother! Ed!"

Ed started, raising his arms up in a defensive state and stepping in front of his brother. "What is it, Al?"

Alphonse tugged at Ed's sleeve in worry. "I don't think this girl is breathing!"

Ed leaned down by the girl quickly and felt along her neck for a pulse. Alphonse watched, his worry growing as he watched his brother's eyes cloud over. "She's still alive, but barely. Alright, Al, change of plans." Ed stood up. "Let's get to the next town right away. She needs help, now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay! Chapter 3! Sorry its taken me so long to update, been really busy with the last month of school and all..**

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Chapter 3

Tara knew this place. There was no way she wouldn't recognize that door in front of her, surrounded by the transparent whiteness. There was no way she could ever forget the figure that sat behind her, talking to her with what seemed like every voice in the world speaking at once.

"Welcome, Tara Rishamine," The figure hissed, grinning. "I trust you know who I am?"

Tara clenched her fists by her sides. Oh yes, she knew that figure very well. "Hello,"  
Tara responded through clenched teeth. "Truth."

The Truth seemed pleased. It smiled. "Very good! Then I presume that you know the reason for your being here, in my domain?"

_Why __am __I __here? __Oh, __right. __Detention, __transmutation __circle. __Got __it. _"I touched a transmutation circle."

"Thats right," Truth grinned. "And you know what happens when someone uses alchemy?"

Tara knew. She gulped. "They have to pay a toll." But she wondered. What could she possibly have to give? She looked down at her body. Everything seemed to be intact..

But the Truth still grinned.

"Oh, dont worry child, you have still given me what I feel is a reasonable toll. You will not realize what it is right away, however. It is much too soon, I like to make people wait.."

Tara growled. "Why?"

Truth smiled and laughed. "It makes things interesting!" Then it frowned. "Impatient boys. It seems that someone has found you, I must send you through the door.."

Tara suddenly felt anxious for more information. "Wait!" She cried. "I need to know mo-"

But her voice was cut off as the door opened, and many black hands reached out and grabbed her. They dragged her back through the door. Tara watched as many images flashed through her mind, things she had never known or seen. Then she closed her eyes in terror and saw nothing more, her mind going blank.

~Ed's POV~

Edward knelt, panting, his hands on his knees. Running for two miles straight with no breaks, that was a record on his part. Al had run ahead to take the girl to the hospital, while Ed searched for a telephone. As much as he hated to do it, he knew that this would need to be reported to the colonel. A kind nurse pointed him in the right direction, and Ed soon found a phone. He dialed Central's number and waited impatiently as the phone rang on the other side of the line.

"Central Command," A deep voice sounded.

"Ah, yo, Colonel," Ed smirked. "Doing our work for a change, are we?"

There was a deep sigh from the other side of the line. "What is it, FullMetal? I'm busy today, as you should be. I now have two little problems to take care of."

Ed glowered. "Who are you calling so short he could barely overtake the height of a flea!"

The colonel sighed again. "Fullmetal, tell me your business with me. Is this about the documents? Surely you cant have arrived at your destination?"

Ed smirked again. "Yeah, we have. A bit sooner than expected.." He proceeded to tell Mustang about the girl, everything from the train to the girls admittance into the hospital. Mustang didnt sound too convinced. "So.. You just found her? Out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Sounds about right. Al found her. I guess it adds a little excitement to our li-"

Ed was cut off by a doctor hurrying towards him. The doctors expression showed worry. "Are you Edward Elric, brother to Alphonse Elric, the one who brought in the girl with brown hair?"

Ed nodded, holding the phone away from his ear to drown out Mustangs oncoming questions. The doctor nodded. "Come quickly, she is awake. Do you have any relationship with this girl at all?"

"Uh, no?" This confused Edward. "Should we..?"

The doctors eyebrow furrowed. "Interesting... Alright, come on now." He walked briskly down the hallway while Ed finished his call. "Gotta go, Mustang. Girls awake."

He could practically see the colonel grinning. "Alright, Fullmetal. Bring this girl by Central sometime, I'd like to meet her myself."

Ed sneered as he hung up the phone. "I'm sure you would.." Then he ran after the doctor, who waited impatiently, already halfway down the hall.

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**So, what do you think? Also, just a question, do you readers think I should make a pairing somewhere in this story? I'm not too sure.. Review! The button is now big ang blue!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I. Hate. Writers. Block. Its that simple. I have writers block, it takes me forever to write, I get anxious and upset. Sorry for the long wait. Also sorry if this chapter sucks. I'm trying to get better, but I'm slowly recovering from the writers block. The dreaded, horrible, unforgiving writers block..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. **

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Chapter 4

~Tara's POV~

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, no, no, no..."

Tara was freaking out. She refused to open her eyes again. "I'm going insane, I'm going insane, I'm not in a hospital, I don't feel like I just got ran over by a truck, and Alphonse Elric is _not _standing a few steps away from my bed.." She tried to imagine her own room at home, where only drawings of the Elric brothers existed. She tried to imagine the sky blue walls, the overflowing bookshelf in the corner, her computer desk. After attempting to convince herself that this was all a dream, she opened her eyes again.

The walls weren't the usual sky blue color she was used to. Instead, they were white. Where her bookshelf should have been were now various supplies and tools that would be used in a hospital. And most shocking of all, where the computer would have been, stood Alphonse Elric, staring at Tara. She jumped and let out a startled squeak as he spoke. "Are you alright?"

_Wow, his voice sounds exactly like the anime! _Suddenly desperate to not unveil how scared she was, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fi-"

A sudden coughing fit cut off her statement. She tried to tame the coughs, but they just came on stronger. Tara struggled to breathe, and felt something warm on her sleeve. She looked down, her vision blurring. She saw little red dots forming with each cough she let out. Her mind went blank. Dimly, she heard someone rush out, calling for a doctor. _What is this! Help.._ Tara kept coughing. Gradually, they ceased. Her lungs greedily took in air. Then Tara's eyes rolled back, and her head hit the pillow as she gave way to unconsciousness once more.

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Tara heard voices. They both sounded very familiar, too familiar. Without opening her eyes, she rolled over onto her back and listened to them.

"Its not like we can just leave her here, Brother."

"I know that. But we really need to get out of here soon, the colonel will be on my back for sure."

"Lets just stay until we figure out what this is about!"

Tara felt her heart stop. _Those voices.._ She opened her eyes just a small amount, so that she could see, but the others didn't see that she was awake. An extremely familiar boy with long golden hair tied in a braid was talking to a huge suit of armor. Realization hit Tara like a blow across the face. _It wasn't a dream.._ Her mind whirled with shock and confusion. _I did see Alphonse earlier, before I passed out. I'm in a hospital. I'm in Amestris.. But why? How? _She pushed the thoughts to the back of her head and listened to the boys converse.

It felt like hours before the blond haired boy Tara knew as Edward Elric noticed she was awake. When she met his eyes, she sat up very slowly. Ed walked towards her, and Tara instinctively narrowed her eyes, watching his every move. Afraid of angering him by accident, Tara kept quiet as Ed sat down on the edge of her bed. Instead, she observed him. He was taller than she had expected, but she still overtook him in height. He wore the red jacket and white gloves, along with the black shirt and pants that she had seen him in so much before in the anime. Tara cringed, however, when she saw his eyes. They were a light golden color. They showed fierce determination. When they bore into her scared brown eyes, she turned away.

Her eyes landed on Alphonse. He was also much taller than she had expected him to be. His armor looked like it did in the anime as well, but Tara thought it looked shinier and more of a silver color than gray. His eyes were glowing, just like in the anime as well. Alphonse waved and gave a small greeting of, "Hey," and Tara smiled.

Ed cleared his throat, and Tara turned back to him. She looked down at her hands nervously as he spoke to her. "What's your name? Who are you?"

Tara's voice shook with nervousness. "Ta-Tara Rishimane." _Idiot! _Her conscious scolded her. _This is Edward Elric you're talking to! Make a good impression!_

Ed raised an eyebrow, but kept going. "Alright.. Where are you from?"

_Uh oh.. _Tara gulped. _Should I tell him? No.. It would probably cause trouble.. but it'll cause trouble later if they find out.. No. I cant tell them. _"I..I-I-I.." _Idiot! _Her conscious hissed. _Stop stumbling! _"I'm not from here!" _No duh. _Tara mentally slapped herself for being stupid.

Ed smirked. "Well obviously."

Tara mumbled, "Shut up," under her breath. Ed made no sign that he had heard her. Instead, he leaned closer, to check for anything that would make her suspicious. Tara searched frantically for something to say. Much to her annoyance, her mind went blank. _Come on, genius, think! Here you are in Amestris, talking to two of your favorite all time anime characters, and you stutter and go mute! Get it together, say something!_ "Ah," Tara let out as a startled squeak, "Where am I?"

Alphonse answered her, "You're in a small town near Resembool. We found you unconscious in the desert."

"Oh.. so that's where Truth dumped me.." Tara thought aloud quietly. _How am I going to get home? Let alone survive in this world.._

"What!"

_Oh snap._ Tara looked up to see that Ed had shot upright and was staring at her in shock. _Red alert, Red alert!_ "Uh.. Who what?"

Ed stared at her, his eyes narrowing. "You just said something about _someone _dumping you in the desert." He exaggerated the "something". "Who were you talking about?"

Tara shook her head in attempt to fake that she hadn't. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did! What happened?"

"Brother," Al cautioned, "It could be personal.."

Tara cursed to herself. What could she say? What was she going to do? Her mind whirled as it searched for lies automatically. She was so used to lying, it was almost natural. She had tried to break herself of the habit, but it just came. So she did what she did best in these situations. She lied. She didn't want to, not to the Elrics, but it just came naturally. So she did. She told a half lie. "Yes," she sighed. "I did see the Truth." But she needed a reason. So she again came up and said the first thing that came to her mind. "I performed the taboo."

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**What a massive lie there. Hows that gonna play out? You'll have to wait and find out! Read and review, sorry again if this chapter ultimatly failed.**


	5. Chapter 5

**To my reviewers! You guys are amazing! Despite having to get up at 4 am last Saturday, I looked at the reviews that I got over email, and had to hold back a huge squee of joy and excitement. You guys made my day! Thank you to Noxy the Proxy, KuroHi91, Lefay Strent, and IAmTheRedOne for reviewing, you guys inspire me to continue writing. And since its summer, I'll have much more time to write and update! So, without further ado, Chapter 5!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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Chapter 5

_Liar._

Tara's body burnt with shame and guilt. That was a terrible lie. Terrible in so many ways. She should never have said it, never have thought of it. But what could she do? She couldn't tell them that she was from a different world. _They'd send me right off to a mental hospital,_ she thought bitterly.

Edward was gaping at her, his eyes wide. She could hear Alphonse gasp lightly. Tara tried her hardest to not avert her eyes from Edward's. She hated to lie. It was almost a miracle that they seemed to believe her. Then, to Tara's horror, Ed's expression changed from shocked to disbelief. "Who was it, then?" He asked her. "Who were you trying to bring back?"

Tara didn't hesitate. She had been prepared for this question, and she so wanted it to be true. "My brother." Tara thought back to when her brother was alive, to when they would play together. It pained her to think about it, so she shoved the thoughts away. She looked up at Ed, who had opened his mouth again. She anticipated his next question, so she answered before he could speak, "And I don't know what was taken."

Edward stared down at her. Now he looked shocked and interested at the same time. _Please don't ask much more.. please don't.. _Tara sighed inwardly when Ed continued. "Well," He began slowly, "This is a little.. surprising.." _Complete understatement there, Ed. "_Another thing," He continued. "The doctor says that you somehow knew Al's name. How is that? We've never seen you before."

Alphonse piped up. "Yeah, how is that?"

Tara gulped. _Uh oh.. What do I say!_ "Ah.. Um.. I've seen you around." Tara got an idea. She grinned slightly. _Time to have some fun.._ She pointed to Al. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, right? The name suits you."

Tara tried her best to suppress a giggle as Ed collapsed to his knees and hugged them in a gloomy state. Alphonse laughed nervously and waved his hands back and forth in denial. "No, I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist, he is!"

Tara acted surprised. "Really? I expected him to be taller!"

Edward immediately jumped up, his eyes burning with anger. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR A GRAIN OF RICE!"

_Talk about a mood swing. _Tara couldn't help herself. She let out a laugh. This just caused Ed to get even more angry. Alphonse had to hold his brother back by pinning his arms behind his back. This just caused Tara to laugh even harder. "You guys are so cute!"

Ed and Al stared at her; Ed even ceased his struggling. "Cute?" Edward asked incredulously.

Tara nodded with a smile. She wouldn't lie on her opinion. "Yeah, the way you get angry about being small, the way Al has to hold you back as you attempt to murder the person who called you short.. its cute!"

This, of course, made Ed blow up again. "YOU JUST CALLED ME SHORT TWICE IN THAT SENTENCE!"

"Tara, you'll be releas-" A doctor came into the room, and stopped short when he found Tara laughing uncontrollably on the hospital bed, a small boy yelling quite angrily and loudly, and a huge suit of armor attempting to restrain the boy by pinning his arms back. The doctor quickly said, "You'll be released now!" and backed hurriedly out the door.

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~Alphonse's POV~

"So.. what do we do now?"

Alphonse, Edward, and Tara were now walking along the streets, figuring out what to do next. After they had gotten out of the hospital, Tara had told the two brothers that she didn't know where to go. Al had offered for her to travel with them immediately. Edward had been a little reluctant. After some consideration, however, he agreed that she could stick with them for a while. Tara had gratefully accepted, and now they were walking along.

Tara surprised Al by answering his question. "Do you guys know if there's a library around?"

Edward looked at her, surprised as well. "Yeah, right down the street. Why?"

Al watched as Tara shrugged her shoulders. "I need to research something. Can we go? Please?"

Al nodded. "We're researching something as well. Come on, brother, we might find this to be useful."

Edward nodded. "Alright, lets go." He started off, then turned back to Tara. "What are you researching?"

Alphonse sighed. Ed could be so nosy sometimes. But he admitted that he was curious too. Tara's eyes flickered uneasily. "Um.. lots of different things. I can't really tell you." Tara shot back, "Why, what are you researching?"

Ed snorted, "That's classified." Al sighed again. _Way to make someone curious, brother._

Tara seemed unfazed. "Alright, I understand. Lets go already!" She took off down the street, leaving Ed and Al running to catch up with her.

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**Okay! Sorry again if I seem to be slipping on my writing, I'm kinda still planning things out. Review please!**

**Its suuuuummer! Every single moment is worth its wait in gold!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! Woot! Slowly but surely, we're getting there! This chapter is very interesting, in my opinion. There were so many different ways I could have put this chapter. I might write a one shot of one of the other ways, because I really debated on whether or not to put that one or the one I actually wrote in here. Tell me if you want to read the other way.**

** Anyway, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way, shape, or form.**

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Chapter 6

~Tara's POV~

"Wow.."

Tara gaped at the huge building that was the public library in front of her. She had never seen a library so big, so.. different. The style of the library was different, the shelves seemed different, even the books seemed different somehow. She was so fascinated by the library that Tara didn't even notice Ed and Al come up behind her. She turned around to face them and caught Ed smirking at her. Tara narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Ed grinned. "Nothing. Whats so amazing about a library? Someone might get the impression that you've never been to one before."

Tara scoffed and turned back around. "Well," she stated. "That person would be wrong, because I've been to plenty of libraries." She stared at the shelves again. "Just nothing quite like this.."

She heard Al chuckle behind her. "Just wait until we get to Central," he said. "They have an even bigger library."

Tara grinned. She couldn't take it anymore. Racing for the first shelf, she grabbed the nearest book and examined it. _My greatest weakness. Books. I love me my books. _Tara grinned and started to open the book, then snapped it closed. _No! Bad Tara! Focus on research now, read for pleasure later!_ Sighing, she put the book she was holding back and made her way to the non fiction side of the library. Tara's long line of research began.

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Tara heaved a tired sigh and snapped the book she was reading closed. Glancing up at the clock, she sighed again, this time out of frustration. She had been researching on how to get home for _two hours_, and she had gotten nowhere. Not a single lead. Nothing. Tara shook her head tiredly. Grabbing the pencil and blank sheet of paper that she was supposed to be taking notes on, she started to doodle. Before she knew it, she had a small drawing of Alphonse as a ten year old boy. Tara looked at the drawing for a minute. Something was off.. she couldn't figure it out. His hair? His eyes?

A small, echoey voice sounded behind her, "You're a good drawer.."

Tara jumped. Quickly, she grabbed a book and spun around, covering the drawing with her body and raising the book in defense. Then she saw Al, who had raised his own hands in defense, and visibly relaxed. "Alphonse, you scared me!" She gasped out, putting the book down.

Al quickly waved his hands in front of his face. "Sorry!" he cried. "I didn't mean to!"

Tara sighed. "It's alright. Sorry I almost slapped you with a book." She laughed nervously, hoping Al wouldn't ask any questions. Fortunately for her, he didn't. Instead he sat down at the table across from her.

"Had any luck with your research?" Alphonse asked curiously.

Tara shook her head. "Nope. Just a bunch of useless facts. Nothing that helps."

Al looked at her. "We could help you. What do you need to know?"

_Uh oh.._ Tara searched desperately for a cover story. But she couldn't think of one. And she didn't want to lie. So she simply said, "I can't tell you."

Al looked hurt. "Why not?"

Tara looked down. _Crap._ "I.. I can't tell you that either. I promise that if the time is right, I'll tell you, but I can't now."

They sat there in silence for a little bit. Then Tara broke it by asking a question she already knew the answer to. "What are you guys researching?"

Al looked at her. "You want me to tell you what we're researching when you wont tell us what you're researching?"

Tara looked down, a little hurt. He was right. That wasn't an Equivalent Exchange. "Sorry, you're ri-"

"Hey! Al!"

Tara spun around to see Edward running towards them, yelling quite loudly across the room to his brother. "Ed," she hissed at him. "_Shut up!"_

Ed glared at her. "Why don't you?"

Tara fumed. "Oh yeah?" she retorted rather louder than she meant to. "This is a library, Ed! Be quiet, we're gonna get in trouble!

Ed sneered at her. "Oh, look. Now who's yelling?"

Al nervously waved his hands back and forth. "Uh, guys, you might wanna calm down.."

Nearby, a librarian was sitting at her desk. She looked up and gave Tara and Al a glare. Ed didn't see it, he was too busy mocking Tara. She growled inwardly, turning back to him. "Ed, shut up before I make you."

Ed grinned. "Oh, I'm so scared.."

Tara opened her mouth to retort, then looked up and visibly paled. "Um. Ed, seriously, be quiet.." The librarian had gotten up from her desk and was stalking angrily over to them. Tara felt her stomach drop. _Shut up, shut up, shut up please..._

Ed payed no attention. He grinned openly and stared at her triumphantly.. until a hand grabbed the back of his coat and hoisted him into the air. Tara backed up and hid behind Al. The librarian stared coldly down at Ed as she held him, her glasses flashing. That shut him up, and Tara couldn't help but smirk at how openly terrified he looked. His eyes were wide open, shock flickering in them. The librarian was getting all in his face. Tara almost felt sorry for him, almost wanted to step in and help him. Almost. But she didn't. Instead, she watched as the enraged librarian got up and carried Edward to the door..then literally threw him out. He hit the ground hard, face first. Al cried, "Brother!" and ran to his side. Tara turned to the librarian, a little surprised. "Um," She hesitantly started. "You could have just asked us to leave.."

The librarian suddenly turned on her, and Tara leapt back in fright. _That look!_ Tara cowered. She knew that look all too well. That was the look her stepmother gave her often, the merciless look. That's the look that she got when she was in big trouble, the look that came right before the beatings. Tara felt her blood freeze, and suddenly she didn't see the librarian, but her stepmother looming over her threateningly. She raised her arms over her face and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the blow..

There was a sudden cry of, "Hey!" and the sounds of struggling. Tara didn't dare open her eyes. She was so scared. She didn't even know where she was anymore. All she knew was that she was terrified, terrified of what was to come. So when someone strong picked her up, Tara flailed and screamed. "Let me go!" she cried. "Don't hurt me!"

"Tara, easy, its me!" Al's voice flooded through her thoughts. She opened her eyes slowly to see Al looking down at her, his eyes showing concern. The visions slowly ebbed away, and Tara began to regain her self control. Al put her down gently, and she sighed in relief. "Sorry, Al." Alphonse just nodded.

Ed was arguing with the librarian on the top of the steps. He looked enraged. Tara had seen him like that in the anime many times, but he looked so much more.. emotional in the real thing. She watched him in awe. After a couple minutes, Ed ran down the steps and stalked off. "Lets go," he snarled. Tara and Al quickly walked after him, the librarian yelling after them, "And don't come back!"

Ed growled, "Don't worry, we won't."

Al walked closer to him. "Brother? Is everything okay?"

Ed shook his head and kept walking. Tara walked on in silence. _Those eyes.. _She shuddered inwardly and pushed the thoughts away. "Guys," she whispered. "Can we stop for today?"

To her surprise, Ed nodded without arguing. "Yeah. Lets go find somewhere to stay."

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**Alright! So, Ed and Al have officially gotten themselves kicked out of a library. Interesting. Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Before anything else, I apologize! I'm so sorry for leaving for so long! To quote off of Ling, "Family matters. I'll leave it at that." I promise I'll explain myself more later! But here's the next chapter!**

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Chapter 7

~Edward's POV~

"Brother.. Brother! Wake up! Ed!"

Edward groaned tiredly and rolled over onto his back. Opening his eyes a little, he found Al leaning over him, shaking his shoulder. The sun was shining brightly through the curtains that flowed gently along with the breeze coming through the cracked window. Ed gathered pretty quickly that he had slept in much later than he had wanted to. This meant that he had a problem. A pretty big problem..

Quickly sitting up, he groaned and ruffled his hair in frustration. "Al, what time is it?"

Al looked at him. "Around 9:00, I'd say."

Ed groaned again. _Great._ He cursed inwardly to himself. There was no doubt that they would be found now. Getting slowly out of bed, he went into the bathroom to change into his usual black shirt and pants, and the red coat, then went out to the living room where Al was waiting for him. Ed sighed and started to walk over to his brother, when Al suddenly stood up and looked down at the couch. "Brother, quick!"

Ed didn't need to be told twice. He ran over to his brother's side and tracked his gaze. His eyes landed on a sleeping Tara. She was covered in a blanket, holding some sort of a book. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary.

Until Tara started to violently shake. Her eyes began to scrunch up, as if she was in pain. She let out a series of mumbles and jerky movements. Tears started to spill down her face. Ed watched in shock. _What the heck is this!?_

Al answered for him. "Brother, I think she may be having a nightmare.. What do we do?"

Ed watched Tara for a few more seconds. When it was apparent that she wasn't going to calm down, he leaned down and started to shake Tara's shoulder in attempt to wake her up. "Hey," he said into her ear, "Snap out of it! Wake up!"

That only made it worse. Tara began to raise her voice, her words now clearly distinguishable. "No! Mom.. Dad.. Stop.. Noah.. NO!" Ed tried one last desperate attempt to shake her awake.

Tara's eyes flew open, her icy blue irises filled with a series of emotions that Edward couldn't understand. "Hey, are you alri- AGH!" Ed fell backwards onto the edge of the coffee table from the force of the book slamming into his face. _Owww.. That hurt, a lot.._ Rubbing the spot where the book made contact, he looked up into Tara's face. She had the book raised, ready to strike again. Her eyes were wide and scared. Tears still rained down her cheeks. She looked as though she was lost, as if she didn't know where she was. Edward had seen that look before, and knew what Tara was feeling at that moment. That was the feeling someone got when they had just relived a terrible memory.

Apparently Alphonse had noticed the look as well because he quickly walked in front of Ed to defend him. Edward watched as his younger brother gently pulled the book from Tara's hand and pushed her slowly back into a sitting position on the couch. Al then started to talk gently to her, calming her down. Tara seemed to gradually come to her senses, as she blinked and looked down at Ed. Then she promptly asked, "Ed? What are you doing on the floor?"

Al was heard making a small, "Pfft," sound as he tried to hold back a chuckle. Edward fumed. "You threw a book at my face, that's why!"

He watched her look around in confusion. Al showed her the book, and her eyes widened. "Oh.. Sorry, Ed."

He sighed. "Whatever." He stood up, rubbing the sore spot on his cheek. Tara looked away from him and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. Ed shot a look at Al, who returned his gaze. He knew what Al was thinking. _Say something._ He looked back at Tara. "Something pretty bad must have happened to you, huh?" _Wow. What a_ _way to start a conversation._

Tara nodded to him, becoming very interested with the floor. "Yeah.. You could say that.."

Ed felt a pang of sympathy for her, though he would never show it. He could relate to having something terrible happen to him. Especially when it came to family. Though he had no idea what had happened to her, he knew it couldn't have been pretty, or something that someone should have to go through. Ed was highly curious as to what exactly had happened, but he decided wisely that now was not the best time to ask. Instead, he got up and shrugged it off for the time being. "Alright. We gotta catch a train in a little less than an hour, so we better get moving."

Tara nodded and got up to proceed to the bathroom. Ed started to go to the kitchen area to get something to drink.

However, he stopped cold when there was a loud knock at the door. No, a knock didn't cover it. It was more like someone attempting to break down the door.

Ed felt his face drain of color. _Maybe it's not him.. Maybe someone else is ungodly strong.._

Shouts suddenly echoed through the room, coming from the other side of the door. "Elric Brothers, I have found you at last! Open this door, I know you're in there!"

Al came up behind the distraught Ed. "Oh, Brother.." Al looked at him. "Is that..?"

Ed facepalmed. He had successfully gotten away to get to the library. Ed had hoped that he wouldn't find them. But, unfortunately, that was not the case. Groaning, Edward closed his eyes and hung his head in defeat. "Yep. He found us."

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**Who could that possibly be? I'm sure you can figure it out! Review, Im sorry again!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright. **

**First of all. Explanation. The reason I didn't update for so long in July was because I lost my hard drive and everything on it. Which included all of my stories. That and family problems.. **

**Second. I apologize for taking so long to update. I'm a very slow writer, and I've just started high school. I know that as a writer I shouldn't be making excuses. But it's just the way I am. I'm very sorry.**

**Alrighty then. Chapter eight!**

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Chapter 8

~Tara's POV~

Again. She had had the dream again. Tara mentally cursed to herself. Nothing was worse than waking up to your friends looking at you with worried expressions and telling you that you were crying in your sleep. It was humiliating. But at the same time, she couldn't help the fact that she had been scared. It was too much. The screams, the sirens, the explosion.. _No,_ She growled to herself. _Don't think about it._

Grabbing a hairbrush, Tara tugged at the knots in her hair, making it slightly straighter and less messy. _Could this day possibly get any worse?_

_BANG, BANG, BANG!_

Tara's hand jerked from the shock, and she held back a gasp of pain. The hairbrush was now stuck firmly in her hair. Tugging gingerly at it, she soon figured out that it was stuck on quite a few knots that she had been trying to brush out earlier. Firmly, she grasped the handle of the brush and wretched through the knots. Putting the brush away, she turned and walked out of the bathroom briskly. Whoever had the nerve to pound on someone's door as hard as that was certainly strong, maybe stupid. Possibly even both. Tara opened her mouth to ask what was going on, when she stopped short, for there were now shouts coming from the other side of the door. Very loud shouts, at that.

"Elric Brothers, I have found you at last! Open this door, I know you're in there!"

_Oh no. That voice.._ Tara stared at the door, her eyes widening slightly. If that voice belonged to who she thought it was, then that meant-

_CRASH!_ The door came right off its hinges, wood splintering all over the floor. A burly man with a blonde mustache ducked through the doorway, the door handle still grasped firmly in his hand. The man that Tara now recognized to be Major Armstrong dramatically raced over to Ed and grabbed him, embracing him in a tight hug. "Edward Elric!" He drawled. "How great it is to see you again! I was starting to wonder if you would ever meet up with me as you said!"

Edward groaned a reply that sounded something like, "Major! You're squishing me!" He attempted to free himself, but it was a wasted effort. Armstrong had him too tightly in his arms.

After a few minutes of Ed struggling to get away from the Major and Al saying his greetings, Armstrong let go of Ed and turned towards the door."Come, Elrics," He announced. "Central is waiting for us!"

Tara walked up to Al. Deciding to play dumb as to not blow her cover, she asked, "What's going on? Who is that?"

Al looked down at her. "That's Major Armstrong," he responded. "He's an alchemist like Brother is, and he's in the military. We were supposed to be going along with him as an escort to Resembool and back to Central, but Brother wanted to try to get to the library. Then when Colonel Mustang called about a mission for Brother, he took that opportunity and snuck away from the Major. I tried to tell him otherwise, but.."

Tara finished for him. "Ed wouldn't listen, and now here you are, right?"

Al nodded. "Yep. That's pretty much exactly it. So I guess we're headed back to Central with the Major now that he's found us.. I just hope that he doesn't tell the Colonel that we were trying to run."

_Colonel Roy Mustang. _Tara almost grinned. _What Kaira wouldn't give to meet _him. She couldn't help thinking of her best friend on the other side. She too was in love with FMA, and absolutely loved the Colonel. She would have killed to get a chance to meet him. Come to think of it, any of her few friends would have killed to meet any of the Fullmetal Alchemist characters for real. For the first time since her arrival, she realized how lucky she was just to be here, in Amestris. Then she cursed at herself. "No. Stop that."

"Stop what?"

Tara jerked her head to the side to see Ed staring at her, an eyebrow raised. _There you go again, saying your thoughts out loud. _"Nothing. Just... thinking." _Way to make someone curious. _Tara mentally face-palmed.

Ed glanced at her, not convinced. He must have decided to drop it, because he simply sighed. "Guess we have to go catch up with the major. Come on, get your stuff and lets go."

Tara backed up and grabbed her bag and the few things she had with her. Then she ran out the door ahead of Edward, eager to get outside and into the fresh air, when she nearly slammed into Armstrong himself. She cringed slightly as he turned around, gazing at her with his intense eyes. He was much taller than she had imagined. And, she had to admit, a lot more muscular as well. Tara could almost swear that she saw sparkles surrounding his face as he smiled and leaned down next to her as well. He grinned. "Well, who is this pretty young miss?"

Tara laughed nervously and introduced herself. "I'm Tara.. I'm traveling with the Elrics. They mentioned you're a major."

Tara expected what was next, but she wasn't at all prepared for the actual thing. She squealed in a very high voice she never knew she had as the major ripped off his shirt and flexed his muscles in front of her, smiling brightly. He offered a hand to her. "Alex Louise Armstrong. How great it is to meet you, Tara!"

Whimpering slightly, but at a loss as to what else to do, Tara reached out and shook his huge hand. "Nice to meet you too," she whispered. _How do his soldiers do it, putting up with this every day!?_

By this time, Ed and Al had packed up and come out of the room. Al rescued Tara by saying his greetings to Armstrong, which gave Tara enough time to slip away and hide behind Ed. As much as she hated to look so cowardly, the major was enough to make anyone frightened at the sight of him.

Needless to say, she hid behind Ed's coat until long after they reached the train station.

* * *

**Yes. Its short. I'm starting to figure out that no matter how much I try to make them longer, my chapters are all going to be short.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay, new chapter, and probably one of the longest ones I've got! I really hope I didn't do too terrible on this one, it was kinda rushed to be honest. So much school, not enough time to write.. Speaking of school. English, we were writing essays, and I was trying to spell trasmit. I dont know how many times I had to cross it out because I kept trying to spell transmute instead.. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor did I make up the game Hangman. **

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Chapter 9

~Alphonse's POV~

Al had to admit, trains weren't his favorite things to be on for hours on end. It beat all the nights that he had to face alone, since he couldn't sleep, but there wasn't much to do. Within a half an hour of boarding, his older brother had fallen fast asleep, his head resting against the window. It wasn't much of a surprise to Al; Ed slept a lot nowadays.

What did surprise him was that Tara seemed to be enjoying the long train ride. She watched everything, everyone, with a huge grin on her face. Her eyes no longer showed the tiredness she had in them earlier, or the fear of the major (it had taken some fierce persuasion to get him to sit in his own seat). She seemed to observe every detail, yet could never stay fixed on one thing. Al watched her. It warmed him up to see her change in attitude, to see her... happy, for a change.

After a while, he finally tried to conjure a conversation. "You seem to be really interested in something out there. Whats so eye catching?"

Tara, who had been watching something intently from the window, jerked her gaze from whatever she was staring at and smiled at Al. "Well, I find everything interesting! I've never been on a train before!" She grinned happily at him and started bent down, starting to look through her bag.

Alphonse was bewildered. How could she have never been on a train before? It was one of the only ways to get back and forth through Amestris, unless you had a car. But even then, trains were much more efficient, going longer distances and all. It just didn't make sense to him. She kept saying that she wasn't from Resembool, even though that's around where they found her. So where was she from, and how did she get there?

He looked up abruptly as he found the girl in question prodding him gently with the tip of a pen. Tara looked up and grinned at him. "You're looking bored. Do you want to play a game?"

_A game? _"Okay," Al hesitantly agreed. "What is it?"

Tara took a small notebook from her bag and set it on her lap. Skipping all the way to the back for a reason Al didn't know and didn't question, she began writing what seemed to be all of the letters in the alphabet at the top of the sheet of paper. "Its called Hangman."

_What!?_ "What does that mean!?" Al was mortified at the thought.

Tara looked at him curiously. Then she realized what he meant and began to laugh. Al didn't understand what was so amusing. So she explained. "Don't worry, we're not really going to hang somebody!" Al sighed with relief, causing her to grin again. "Basically, I'm going to think of a word. Then I'm going to write down how many letters it has, like this," she explained, showing him how she drew seven spaces on the paper in a line. "We'll start with something easy. Now all you have to do is guess a letter. If you think you know the word, say it."

Alphonse looked at the paper. "So it has seven letters in it? And I can pick from any of the letters in the alphabet?" Tara gave him a nod, so he looked at the paper again and tried, "A?"

Tara crossed out the letter A at the top of her paper. Then she wrote the letter in the first space. "Good! Now guess again."

So he tried again. "I?"

Tara looked at the spaces, her eyes flitting across each one. Then she made a _tsk_ sound, crossed off the I, and drew what looked like a hanging platform on the side of the paper. Seeing his confusion, she explained once more, "That letter isn't in the word. So you get a body part. In this case, its only the hanging post. But once you run out of body parts, or guess to many letters wrong, you lose. You have to try to guess the word before then. Try again."

That made a little more sense to Al. So he guessed one letter after another, until they were left with three body parts on the hanging post and the word. Peering closer, Al racked his brain (metaphorically) and tried to think of what the word was. It looked awfully familiar, as if he'd seen it before, possibly when he was studying alchemy with his brother.. Wait! "Is it Alchemy?"

Tara grinned and wrote in the rest of the letters. "Good! You won! Not bad for your first time."

Al felt almost proud. "This is kinda fun. Do you play this a lot where you're from? I've never heard of it."

He noticed her gaze darken slightly, but she smiled at him nevertheless. "Yeah. It's pretty popular, but its more of a child's game. I just thought it might help pass the time a little bit, that's all."

Al waved his hands slightly. "I didn't mean that I don't like it," he denied. "I was just curious."

Tara just shrugged. "It's fine if you don't really find it all that interesting. But if you want to keep playing, then I accept your challenge." She grinned. "Now you do exactly what I did. Think of a word and write down spaces for however many letters are in the word. I'll try to guess it."

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~Edward's POV~

Ed opened his eyes slightly. Sitting up, he yawned loudly and stretched his arms out. Train rides were quite boring to Edward, so he usually passed the time by napping. However, unlike most times he slept, no dreams disturbed him. It was rather refreshing.

"Oh, you're awake, brother. Did you have a good rest?" Al spoke to him from where he was sitting. Ed nodded to him, then narrowed his eyes curiously at a notebook sitting on Al's lap. There were many little drawings of what looked like little men on some sort of hanging thing and letters all across the page, some in what he recognized to be Al's writing, and some of what he assumed to be Tara's, who was staring at the page with narrowed eyes. He looked at Al skeptically. "What are you doing?"

Tara answered before Alphonse had a chance. "Its a game I used to play a lot. You can join in if you want. And Al, is it Kitten again? You used that one a couple rounds ago!"

Al wrote in the letters and defended himself, "I couldn't think of anything!" Making Ed roll his eyes. Watching the paper as it was handed back to Tara, he noticed something sticking out of the pages slightly. He watched it for a few seconds before Tara's hand brushed over it, pushing it farther into the pages of the notebook. He looked up to find her looking down at him, eyes narrowed. Ed was almost afraid that she would start yelling at him, but she simply turned back to Al, continuing their game. Edward just couldn't shake off his curiosity. Whatever it was, Tara didn't want him to see it.

Trying to get his mind off of what the object was, he listened to them play, guessing letters. It wasn't for a while until they started to get to the end of the round. When they started to get there, Ed looked at the paper and read it. He didn't understand what it meant. There were a lot of blanks. What kind of word had a bunch of blanks in it?

He then noticed that Tara was grinning slyly at him. "Any more guesses, Al?"

His brother leaned across the sheet and examined it. Edward watched as Al took the pen and counted the spaces lightly. Al sat up quickly and stared at Tara, his eyes narrowing slightly. Ed stared at him nervously as Al began to laugh. "Are you sure I should say it?"

Tara gazed at him, her eyes filled with amusement. "Yes. Yes you should." Ed looked from one to the other. _What are they talking about?_

Al looked at Ed. "It says, "Edward is a shrimp,"."

Ed's howl of anger echoed throughout the car, causing Tara to burst into a fit of laughter. Glaring at her, Ed hissed, "What is with you people and calling me short? I'M NOT SHORT!"

Tara smirked at him. "Lets just call it payback."

Ed looked at her incrediously, "Payback for what!?"

Tara looked as if she was about to reply, but the train whistled and screeched to a stop suddenly, causing her to fly backwards and hit her head roughly on the seat. Ed was alert in the next second, listening for any sounds. They couldn't be anywhere near Central, it had only been an hour or so.

His suspicions were confirmed by the sounds of rushing feet, and a cocking sound. He knew that sound all too well. The sound of a gun, ready to fire. Standing up, he turned to Al and Armstrong. "Look alive, we have company."

* * *

**Uh oh.. Company..**

**I was hanging out with my friend who also likes FMA. We were at a restraunt and got bored, so we stole some of my brother's crayons and just started playing hangman, mostly coming up with FMA related things. I just got the idea and thought it might be a fun little way for them to pass the time on the train. I tried to actually write out what the paper said, with the spaces and everything, but I couldn't get it on there. Sorry.**

**Review? Please?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Is it possible? Could it be? Yes it is. I have updated within a week of my last update! I am on a roll!**

**I probably could have put this into two seperate chapters, and probably should have, but Eh. I tried to make this one as long as I could. **

**Speaking of that. There is a new OC in here! From now on, I'm going to be putting both things that are happening in Amestris and things that are happening from Tara's side of the gate! It may not be every chapter, but we'll see.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, Kaira, or Raven! Kaira and Raven are owned by my Best friend and sister! She also wrote the piece from Kaira's point of view, I just revised it.**

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Chapter 10

~Kaira's POV~

A young woman of about nineteen left the library, sighing to herself. _There __has __to __be __something, __somewhere.. __anything __to __explain __this.._ Looking up at the sky, she saw dark clouds start to roll in. _Great. __Rain. __What __else?_

"Kaira!" A child's voice rang out from further down the road.

Kaira raised her head and smiled. _Well,__this__makes__things__a__little__better,__at__least._ Her lightning blue eyes gleamed as she pulled her hair back into its usual messy ponytail. "Hey, Raven," she laughed. "Better be careful out here all alone, the big bad Tickle monster might find you!" Kaira grinned, raising her hands and making her fingers waggle back and and forth in a tickling motion towards her younger sister.

Raven grinned at her and rolled her eyes. Then she looked back up at Kaira brightly. "Are you gonna be home for dinner tonight?"

Kaira looked down. "I still haven't found the information I need. I'm sorry, Raven. Not tonight. Tell Mom not to make me anything, I'll be gone for a while."

Raven sighed. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Big Sister."

Kaira smiled at Raven and ruffled her hair. "I just need to figure this out. Okay?"

Raven looked up at her. "She'll come back, you know. She was family.. Tara loved us. Especially you, Sister. Even if she doesn't come home on her own," Raven grinned up at her. "You'll find her!"

Kaira smiled sadly at Raven, hiding the wince that came at the mention of Tara's name. That little brat had been gone for almost a week now. Normally, Kaira wouldn't have been too worried, except for the fact that she had left with absolutely no warning at all, which was extremely unusual for her. _Oh,__Tara,__where__are__you?_ Kaira knew that she wouldn't receive an answer, but her mind pleaded anyway. _I__'__ll __find __you. __I __promise. __I __know __you __didn__'__t __run, __like __Rosa __says.__You __wouldn__'__t __leave __me __to __deal __with __her __alone.._

Kaira sighed. Sending her little sister back home, she turned and began to ascend the library steps once more, her mind turning to Fullmetal Alchemist, the anime that Tara had introduced her to. It was quite ironic, actually. Tara hadn't exactly introduced the anime to her, she had more of reintroduced it. Kaira had known and loved FMA much earlier that Tara had discovered it. But some things led to others, and the anime became the least of her worries and moved down on her list of favorites. When Tara had first come running to her about it, she wanted almost nothing to do with it. Until she started talking about a character who had stayed in the back of Kaira's mind since she had first discovered the anime, Roy Mustang. She smiled as she recalled the fangirl squabbles that she and Tara had engaged in over which character was better, Alphonse Elric or Roy Mustang. _If __only __you __were __real,_ Kaira sighed. _You __might __be __able __to __help __me __solve __this.. __I__'__d __give __anything __to __meet __you._

Kaira stopped suddenly. Tara had detention last Friday. Today was Friday. Exactly one week after her disappearance. "She was last seen at the school!" She raced down the steps. Thunder echoed in the distance, merging in with her rapid footsteps against the pavement. _This __is __my __last __chance! __Please, __Tara, __show __me __what __happened!_

Approaching the now-closed school, Kaira peered through a window. Seeing the lights were all shut off, she grinned. "Perfect!" Sneaking through the window she had just picked open, Kaira landed in the library. Pulling her hood over her head, she ran through the halls until she made it to the main office. Silently, Kaira snuck into the principals office.

Tara's books were still right on the desk she must have been sitting at during her detention session. The books were all open, the pages slightly torn and ruffled. Tara usually kept her books neat, so this startled Kaira a bit. "A clue. Anything.." Examining the desk, she traced along the scratched lines that made up the graffitti on the desk, until she came across a small transmutation circle. Normally, she would have turned away from disgust, until she saw the small smudges of what were fingerprints. "This ink.. its the same color of what kind of pens Tara uses for drawing!"

Kaira stared at the transmutation circle in shock. "No way. Tara, what did you do? Did you really try..? More importantly, did it work?"

Fierce determination took over her anxiety. Raising her palms slowly, she placed them carefully and held them against the circle.

Nothing happened.

Seeing her last hope fade from her grasp, Kaira fell to her knees in frustration. "Come on! Tara, please! I need an answer! What happened to you!?" Tears of anger and sorrow began to cascade down her cheeks. She was so lost in her fear for Tara that she barely registered it when a light snapped on from the doorway.

* * *

~Tara's POV~

_Come __on! __Tara, __please! __I __need __an __answer! __What __happened __to __you!?_

_Kaira..?_ Tara's eyes snapped open. A stinging pain flashed through her head, causing her to whimper slightly when she moved. "Ow ow ow ow.. my head.."

She was quickly interrupted by a sharp "_shhh!__" _Looking up, she saw Ed standing in front of her, his back turned towards her. He stared straight to the side, his eyes never leaving the door. His lips moving ever so slightly, he hissed, "Don't move and stay quiet."

Angered at the command of being quiet and very confused, Tara was about to hiss back when the compartment door was kicked open so forcefully it banged into the wall and was knocked off of its hinges. Two burly looking men entered the car, frowning at the sight of Tara and the others. She would have not thought that much about it, until she noticed one cock something from behind his back. Her eyes widened. _That__'__s __a..!__"_

Ed must have noticed it as well, because his eyes shifted ever so slightly. But only for a second, before they locked onto the hijackers once again. "Who are you," he growled. "What do you want?"

The first man grinned. "We've taken over this train. If you cooperate, you will leave unharmed. Now fork over any money and valuables you have!"

Tara stared at the men. They really thought this was going to work, didn't they? Either they were extremely confident, had some sort of secret weapon, or were just incredibly stupid. She had watched the anime enough to know that none of the people she was traveling with would take this crap. Especially Ed, who would probably pretend like it wasn't a big deal in the first place. So it didn't come at all of a surprise to Tara when Edward simply grinned and shrugged. "How about I don't give you anything and you get off this train before I kick your butts?"

Tara wasn't prepared when the guy actually smirked back at Ed and held up his hand in a sort of gesture. At once, the door to the car slammed open again. The room was flooded with more crooks, about nine or ten of them. Tara turned quickly to look at Ed. He was gritting his teeth, his eyes now more focused and angered. She also noticed that Al had stood up from across her seat and Armstrong had opened his eyes when they had been closed before. That meant one thing; they were in some deep trouble.

The man grinned and repeated himself. "Now, it looks like we're all on the same page here. Fork it over, Shorty."

Of course, that's when World War III broke out on the train headed to Central.

* * *

~Tara's POV~

The first thing Tara saw was Ed flying towards the leader of the pack who had spoken the insult. Everything else was a total blur. Scrambling further into the back of the train, she heard a series of screams, wails, clanks, punches, alchemical reactions, and a few gunshots. Ducking under the seat, Tara trembled as the fighting commenced, watching everything she could from her hiding place.

The sounds continued for a good couple minutes before the eruption of chaos finally ceased. Creeping slowly out from under the seat, Tara looked around. It didn't come to a shock at all when she saw the hijackers all out cold on the floor, Ed standing over the leader, looking like he was ready to kill, Al trying to hold him back, and Armstrong just standing in the back, doing his usual sparkle routine. Tara rolled her eyes and went over to Ed. "You really did a number on them." She pointed out.

Ed turned and smirked at her. "And you're quite the coward, aren't you?"

Tara seethed. "Hey, shut up! I wasn't trained by a teacher that left you on an island for a month before doing your actual training, or got his State Alchemist certification at the age of twelve! I'm not as coordinated, okay!?"

Tara was about to continue ranting to him when she stopped abruptly. Ed was staring at her in complete shock. She was confused at first, until he stuttered, "How did you know about our teacher?"

Tara immediately froze, locking her wide eyes onto Ed's shocked ones. _No! Frick, Tara, you blew it!_

Ed glared at her. "Who are you? How do yo- Get down!"

Ed's warning came too late. Someone grabbed Tara from behind, pinning her arms behind her back. She screamed and kicked, but the grasp stayed firm. Ed ran towards her attacker, ready to free her, when he was also grabbed from behind. A burly man slammed him into the wall, hard, causing Ed to slump down, weakened from the blow. Al cried out for his brother and Armstrong prepared to use some of his "artistic Alchemy passed down through the Armstrong family for generations," When the sound of a gun cocking was heard. Tara felt the shock of cold metal being pressed into her neck. Ed, Al, and Armstrong all froze, staring at her.

Tara's eyes widened. Her heart beat rapidly, fear overtaking her entire body as it started to shake. _Not good, not good, not good!_

_ "Let her go."_

The man that held her whipped around, gun still pressed firmly to the back of her neck. "Who are you," He hissed to someone in the back. "What do you want?"

A figure completely cloaked from the head down repeated itself. "I said. Let her go." Tara's spine prickled. _Who..?_

She was jerked roughly back, her air supply cutting off slightly as the creeps hands tightened around her neck, and from the sound of flesh against metal, the gun. Gasping for air, Tara kicked her feet in a desperate attempt to get free, or to even just have him loosen his grip, but to no avail. Al wisely refrained from making any sudden movements, to avoid the possibility of setting off the hijackers, and Armstrong glared at the unmoving ones, just daring any of them to stand. Although, he as well, refrained from fighting. Ed's hands were being held apart behind his back, so he couldn't use alchemy.

_Wait... Alchemy!_

Tara looked down at her hands. She had seen Truth. Did that mean..? Glancing around quickly, she saw that all of the attention was on either the hijackers or the mysterious figure in the doorway. This was her only chance, it was now or never.

And Tara chose now. Twisting her hands slightly, they touched. She raised a hand ever so slightly and touched the rough hand that was holding her arms captive.

The man screamed in pain and shock, releasing Tara and falling to the ground. Immediately, Tara ran over to the guy holding Ed and used the same technique. The same thing happened, the guy screamed, fell, and Ed was released. He stared at her in complete shock. Tara simply grinned. "Hows that for a coward?"

"You'll pay for that!" Tara spun around to see the first hijacker holding up the gun, aiming right at her. She had no time to dodge, no time to even think before there was a loud bang. She closed her eyes and waited for the exploding pain.

But none came. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw a dark shadow standing in front of her. The figure from the door had taken the hit for her. But the weird thing Tara didn't understand was that _he wasn't hurt. _The figure simply stood and brushed himself off. Sighing, he shrugged. "That hurt. What was that for?"

Every face in the car gaped at him. The figure simply shrugged. Then he flew forward, grabbed the leader by the collar of his shirt, and proceeded to give him a swift kick to the head, knocking him out immediately. Turning, he pointed to Ed. "You. Transmute something that I can tie them up with."

Ed grumbled slightly, but did as he was told. In a few minutes, every one of the hijackers were tied in a bundle, their backs to one another with a long rope made from some of the seats. Tara payed no attention, her eyes fixed on the cloaked man. She couldn't explain it, but she _knew_ him. But from where?

The man grunted and caught her by surprise as he stood and looked at her. She couldn't see his face, which discomforted her. He was strange. But at the same time, Tara recognized him. "My work here is finished," He muttered as he headed for the door. "Take good care of that girl, Fullmetal Alchemist. Your brother as well. I'm putting my trust in you. We will meet again." He disappeared behind the door.

Tara ran after him. "Wait! I need to know more! Who are you!?" She grabbed the handle and swung the door back. But he was gone. Just as suddenly as he had came, he was gone.

* * *

**Hmm. Creepy person...**

**Review please! More reviews makes me psyched to write more stuff!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Updaaaaaaaate! I had a really hard time writing this chapter. I kept writing it out, saying "No, that doesn't sound right..." Then deleting and starting over. Sorry if it's not that good. I tried my best. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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Chapter 11

~Tara's POV~

She had blown it. Tara couldn't believe she had been that stupid. It just slipped. It came right out before she could stop it. But now she had to pay the price. And Tara wasn't sure she could do that.

The rest of the train ride was filled with silence. Tara had moved away from the rest of the group, settling herself in an empty seat, her back to Ed especially. She couldn't bear to face his anger, which she could feel on her back like fire, burning into her heart. She was going to tell him, she just didn't feel like it was the right time. Now she was scared because she knew how he was when he got angry. Tara just prayed that she wouldn't get hit again. Not by Ed.

Tara hardly registered it when the train came to a stop. Edward exited first, followed by Armstrong and Al, who had been casting glances at Tara and left almost as if he felt regretful, or nervous. Tara waited a few minutes before exiting herself, just in time to witness the arrival of Second Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh. Not even the sight of two of her favorite military members in real flesh and blood could make her spirits rise.

Armstrong departed with the group and headed back of to Central command. The group then made its way across the streets of Central. Tara became lost in her own thoughts. Why was she here in the first place? How was she going to go back? More importantly, did she even _want_ to? Everything seemed so out of place. She had an overwhelming desire to stay, but at the same time, she shouldn't have been there. She could easily alter everything in the story, probably for the worst knowing her. Her body trembled at the possible outcomes. People, innocent people who shouldn't have been touched in the original story harmed, even killed..

"You're awfully quiet. I haven't gotten your name yet."

Tara's head snapped up and she let out a startled gasp as she was jerked away from her internal conflict. Lieutenant Ross was smiling down at her, eyes curious, but kind. The rest of the group had fallen silent as Ross waited for a reply. Brosh was staring at her, the same curiousity lighting from his eyes. Alphonse looked at her and nodded slightly in encouragement. Ed simply stared straight ahead and kept walking, his expression unreadable. Tara looked down at the ground and mumbled, "My name is Tara Rishimane."

Ross must have been satisfied, because there was no reply. Her head low, Tara slowed down until she was behind the rest of the group. She stayed that way until they came to a familiar sight. The first branch library. Burnt to a crisp. Tara couldn't help but smirk as Ed and Al both gaped at the sight in front of them. They would find their answer soon enough. "Patience, guys, patience.."

Tara gulped as she realized she had voiced her thoughts out loud. Ed was now staring at her like she had two heads. Tara shook her head and groaned. Making up a quick excuse, she turned. "I'll meet up with you guys later." Without waiting for a response, Tara ran off into the streets. She needed to be alone. Desperately.

* * *

~Edward's POV~

Ed watched the girl run off. Something was wrong with this picture. No one just _knows_ about everything that's happened to them. Especially this girl. They had never seen her before! She couldn't just _know_!

That was the final straw. Ed was going to get to the bottom of this. Starting right now. "I'll see you guys later too. Al, stay with Ross and Brosh. I have something I need to do."

He started off when a clanking sound behind him made him stop. Al leaned down next to him and whispered, "Brother, are you going to follow her? You've been acting strange since the train battle. I know what she said was weird, but-!"

Ed had pushed his brother away roughly. Al recoiled slightly, and Ed immediately apologized. "I need to find out whats going on. Stay here and keep the two so called "bodyguards" busy, okay?" He ran off in pursuit.

* * *

~Alphonse's POV~

Al groaned inwardly. This couldn't mean anything but trouble. Especially when it came to his brother. He had rather..violent.. ways of settling things.

Ross came up from behind him. "What was all that about?"

Alphonse saw no reason to lie, so he told Ross and Brosh about the girl, and what had happened the past few days. He explained why both Tara and Ed had seemed so tense, explained the train battle, and even the mysterious man who had saved Tara from death.

Ross and Brosh were both shocked. They stared at him, eyes wide and jaws dropped. Al shrugged. "We were going to ask Tara about it herself, but I think brother's already trying to take care of tha-"

A distant scream cut him off. Both military officials snapped to attention. "Sir! We should investigate!"

Al couldn't agree more.

* * *

~Tara's POV~

"Ed.. Stop.. Please! You're hurting me..!"

Tara gasped for air as Edward held her up against the wall of the building, his arm pressed firmly against her throat. His eyes were cold and narrowed, and his automail spear was pointed directly at her neck. He hissed, "Not until you tell me who you are and what you're doing here. I want a straight answer. Now."

To her horror, tears began to slide down Tara's face. Her hands were as white as sheets and they had ceased at clawing at Ed's arm in a desperate attempt to make him let go. She could feel her conciousness slipping slightly, and she was suddenly afraid for her life. Though she knew that Edward wouldn't voluntarily kill another human being, something inside her told her that this rage was much greater than anything she had felt before. No. This wasn't rage. This was _fear._ Tara's eyes widened as she finally realized. Ed wasn't angry. He was _scared._ An unknown person who knew everything about you? Tara would have been scared too. An unknown person who knew everything about your past, your life. A threat. Tara posed as a threat to him. A threat to his brother, who he would do anything for. Tara realized it all now. She pitied him, and kicked herself for not realizing it before. So she made a decision. "Ed.. put me down. I'll tell you everything. I promise.. Please.. let me explain.." She choked out.

Ed glared at her. "How do I know I can trust you?"

Tara's gaze dropped. "You can't. I can't make you trust me. It's your own choice."

Several minutes of Ed staring into her eyes passed until he finally loosened his grip. Tara breathed greedy lungfuls of air, her head swimming. She slid down into a sitting position. Ed towered over her, and she bowed her head. She was ready. Time to spill.

A clanking sound and two sets of footsteps announced the arrival of Alphonse, Ross, and Brosh. Tara gulped, but narrowed her eyes determinedly. She raised her head and looked them all in the eyes. Then she opened her mouth and began to tell her side.

"My name is Tara Rishimane. I am fourteen years old. I grew up with my mother, father, and older brother, until they all died. I then went to live with my stepmother, who abused me. I was beaten, humiliated. The only joy I had was going over to my best friend's house. When I went to school a few days ago, I received detention. At the desk, I found a transmutation circle. It looked so real.. so I touched it. Nothing happened at first. But then a light began to glow, and a gate was opened. You already know what that is." I glared at Ed, who stared equally back at me. "I met with Truth. He told me that he had in fact taken something, but I don't know what it is. Knowing my luck, I'll find out at the worst time possible. And then, I woke up, and you were there. And you know the rest from there." Tara looked at them.

Ed scoffed. "That explains nothing. Where did you grow up at? Was it in Amestris?"

Tara cringed. This was it. The big shocker. She just hoped they were ready. "No, Edward. It wasn't Amestris."

Ed looked at her, eyes narrowed.

Tara glared. "I'm from the other side of the Gate."

* * *

**Confession time! She finally tells them what's going on. Reactions? You'll have to wait! Review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay. Got a new flash drive and finally, finally finished this chapter. I just couldn't get passed the first part. Sorry once again if my writing skills plummeted, I was sick today. But I figured, eh, lets go finish this. So I did. Enjoy, review if you want!**

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Chapter 12

~Edward's POV~

_"__I__'__m __from __the __other __side __of __the __gate.__"_

Shock and confusion made Edward's head spin. He had to admit, that was not at all what he was expecting. How could she have gotten here from the other side?

"You're lying." He challenged. There was absolutely no way he could believe that.

Her answer shocked him even more. Tara stared straight up at him. Her eyes were cold, and yet at the same time, they were filled with so many emotions that Edward didn't even know where to start trying to figure them all out. And she spoke to him, icily calm. "Edward. I have lied about many things. I have lied to many people. However, I do not lie when I say that I never, ever break a promise. So, right here and now, I promise you this: I would not lie about anything that had to do about where I grew up. About my hometown. About my family. Never."

Ed opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off again. "I know it's a pathetic answer."

_How __did __she __know __I __was __going __to __say __that..?_

His mind snapped back into perspective as she continued. "But I assure you that it's true. And you have the power to choose whether you believe me or not."

Edward couldn't take this anymore. His mind was raging with so many possibilities, so many questions, and so much doubt and anger. He just couldn't take it any longer. He finally snapped. "Fine. If you're really from the other side, then how do you know so much about us? We're from different worlds, so there's no way you could have known all of this."

The last thing Ed was expecting to hear was that there was literally a story about them in her world. She explained everything, from the books to both series in the TV show. How one series seemed to follow the books more than the other one. How she could tell where she was at in the story by the location and events that had happened since she had arrived.

However, the only thing that she refused to explain was how much she knew about the story, and what their futures held. It drove Ed crazy, to know that the answers were all right there in front of him, and yet they wouldn't reveal themselves. It made him want to tear his hair out. It also made him extremely nervous. Maybe the reason she wouldn't tell them was because they didn't get their original bodies back. Or worse.

When Tara finished explaining, Edward's brain felt like it had been sent through the Portal of Truth for a second time. He was having trouble trying to process things. One glance from his brother and the "Bodyguards," and he knew that they were feeling the same way. Edward could read his brother like a book; Al was shocked senseless. Ross and Brosh were harder to decipher. Brosh seemed to be in an internal conflict with himself over whether he should look confused, or just stay out of it all together. Ross looked.. concerned.

The sound of movement made Ed's senses snap back to Tara. She had pushed herself into a standing position and was leaning against the wall for support. _Pfft. _Ed rolled his eyes. "Come on, I didn't hurt you. Stop trying to act pathetic."

Tara just rolled her eyes right back at him, making his temple twitch in annoyance. Who did this girl think she was, exactly?

"Edward, I had a condition as a baby that left me with asthma. It doesn't exactly help my breathing when someone pushes me up against a wall with their arm pressed against my lungs."

_Oops. _"Anything else you'd like to tell us? Or have you done enough for one day?"

Tara cringed openly at his words, and Ed almost felt sorry for her. But his anger and confusion took over the feeling, and he waited, almost mockingly for her to answer. He heard his brother's clanking footsteps nearing him. He knew Al was probably going to chastise him, but at this point he didn't care. He didn't care about anything at that moment except for getting answers.

_But __how __would __he __know __if __the __answers __were __truth __or __fiction?_

* * *

~Alphonse's POV~

Seeing his brother rage with so many emotions at once was almost enough to drive Alphonse over the edge of insanity. He felt sympathy for Tara because of how frightened she looked, but at the same time he knew that he felt almost as angered at her as his brother was, though he would never show it or express it violently.

Al listened intently to the answers that Ed got out of Tara. They were very confusing to him, but at the same time, they made sense. Coming from the other side of the gate would explain why she mysteriously came out of nowhere in the middle of the desert and knew Truth, and the fact that she knew everything about them. But the thing that confused him was how she got here in the first place. As far as he knew, there weren't many things that could send her to the gate in the first place, let alone through. His brother went through as the price of the taboo, which Tara claimed she also committed, but how did Al know that she was telling the truth? His mind spun with confusion.

When he heard the last comment from his brother, however, Al jumped back into perspective. Though he knew that Ed was only looking for answers, he also knew when his brother was starting to go too far. The last thing Alphonse wanted was to have Edward start a fight, or worse, have all of their answers slip out of their grasp from the result of the fight.

Al stepped up to his brother and saw him tense. Not bothering to even say anything, he just watched Tara. She didn't look at either of them, only lowered her head slowly. After a few awkward moments, Tara pushed her way past Alphonse, startling him. "Where are you going?"

She didn't turn back, but stopped before she continued again. "I'll meet you guys at the hotel. It's a little obvious that I shouldn't be here right now."

Alphonse watched her walk off. Turning to Ed, he questioned him. "Why did you have to act so hateful? You could have been a little nicer-"

His brother cut him off. "She lied to us, Al. Alchemy isn't possible on the other side of the gate. There's no way she could have used it."

Al stood there for a minute. He was right, Alchemy couldn't be used on the other side. And yet, she was here. And for someone who was from this side, she sure did know a lot about their story. How they burned down their house, how they made a promise, how they did human transmutation, how they were searching for the Philosopher's stone..

Wait.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. What if Tara had something hidden away? Something that she could have used to get over to the other side? Something that they were looking for..

Al looked up at Edward again. His brother was staring at him, eyes slightly narrowed. "You're thinking. I know that look. What is it?"

Alphonse answered quickly. "We have to go after her. I think there's something else she's not telling us.."

* * *

~Tara's POV~

As Tara made her way up the stairs to their room, she cursed herself over and over. She cursed herself for making such a stupid mistake. She cursed herself for managing to lose the Elric brother's trust. But most of all, she cursed herself for getting into this predicament in the first place. The saying went, curiosity killed the cat. This time, she was the cat.

Tara unlocked the door and sat herself on the floor. She sat there, looking at the wall. _I didn't want this. _She talked to herself. _All I wanted was to get away from the pain, the torture. I didn't think that my wish would come true. And now.. I'm in even more pain then before. I want to go home.._

She wanted nothing more than to see her friends, go back to her school, read all of her books. She wanted to lay in her own bed. She wanted to do what all of the other kids in her school were doing. And, surprising herself, she realized that she would even go back to living with her stepmother, if it meant going back home.

_That's ridiculous. You cant go back. _

Shaking her head, Tara got up and walked over to the table, where her bag was sitting. How the backpack had gone through the gate with her, she had no idea. But she was glad it was there. Her drawing things were exactly what she needed to help her calm down. Reaching into the bag, she fished around for her colored pencils. When she found them, she pulled them out. But that wasn't all that she found.

Her cell phone was wedged in the box, by account of the many anime key chains that she had hanging from it. And from one of those key chains, hung a strange necklace, one she had never seen before. Taking it from the chain, she admired the little red stone in which the chain held. It was quite pretty. Where had it come from?

Dismissing it as a necklace she had forgotten about, she put it to the side. Flipping open the cell phone, she powered it on. The familiar opening tone played, and the phone then switched to the menu screen. Switching to her messages, she glanced at the fifteen unread ones that showed up first. Almost every single one of them was from her best friend, Kaira. They all asked where she was, why she wouldn't answer back. Tara smiled sadly at them. _If only she knew.._

A couple others remained, but she neglected them. Snapping her phone shut and preparing to put it away, Tara was surprised by the incoming message tone that played. Opening the cell phone once more, she glanced warily at the message. It was from an unknown number. Hesitantly, she clicked the button and opened it. Only four words were wielded in the message.

_It's time to learn._

Tara coughed. She reached for something to hold onto, just to make her feel safe. Her hands grasped the necklace and held it tight. Tara didn't register anything until she looked at the stone.

_It was glowing. _

Tara started to drop it in surprise, when the hotel door opened. Someone let out a startled gasp. Tara couldn't register who it was. Her mind started to go blank, and she fell back into darkness.

* * *

**Okay. So, creepy message, interesting stone... Yup. Next chapter, guys, you finally get to see what was taken as Tara's toll! Stay tuned!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know. Its been forever. And I left you at a terrible cliffhanger. I'm so sorry..**

**But the good news is that I'm finally going to reveal Tara's toll! I tried to make the chapter as long as I could. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way, shape, or form.**

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Chapter 13

~Tara's POV~

Tara blinked groggily and sat up. Her head immediately started spinning violently, making her stomach clench. Despite this, Tara stood slowly, her vision finally starting to focus. Not that it had much to focus on. The surface around her was all white and airy. Nothing was in the room, just white. White..

Tara facepalmed. "Great. Here we go again."

"You don't seem pleased to see me." The many voices of the Truth teased her from behind. Tara whirled around to face the white creature that sat a little ways away in front of a huge towering Gate. Yep. She was back at the Gate. Fantastic.

Tara rolled her eyes. "I don't think anyone in the world would be glad to see you."

Truth smirked. "You have some nerve, child. Just like that other little Elric brat. You resemble each other so well."

Tara couldn't keep her mouth from dropping, or her face from turning red. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

Truth cackled. "Humans are so much fun to mess with."

Tara snarled. He thought he could mess with her!? "Shut up! Just tell me why I'm here! Or how I got here, for the matter, I didn't do anything!"

Truth smirked at her. "That's right, you didn't do a thing. Correct. I brought you here. Oh, but if you don't want to know what your toll was, then I guess I'll just send you back.." The Truth waved it's hand dismissively.

Tara's eyes widened. Her toll? He was actually going to tell her? That was too unreal. "Wait," She looked at Truth and slowly said, "Tell me. I want to know. What do I have to lose in exchange for you bringing me here? To Amestris?"

Truth smiled. "That's for you to find out."

Tara growled and turned her back on the figure. She knew it was too good to be true. Now she understood Ed's pain. She wanted answers, dang it! She started to let her mind drift into thought. So she was back at the Gate. She got that much. But why was she here? And how did she get here for the matter?

"I brought you here. I already said that. However, can you tell me what I used in order to bring you here?"

_What he used..?_ Tara sent her thoughts back in time. She remembered fleeing to the hotel room after fighting with Edward in the alleyway. Afterwards she had dumped her bag out, discovering her cellphone and a weird pendant with a pretty red stone on it.

_A pretty red stone…_

Tara gasped, remembering the flashing stone and the blackout right after. She stared at Truth. "The Philosopher's stone," She choked out. "But how?"

Grin from Truth. "Correct."

Tara's body shook. When had she acquired a Philosopher's Stone? She never remembered picking it up. Then someone must have given it to her. But who? And when?

Truth spoke up again. "I'll give you a hint. Remember how you got here."

Tara remembered. She was pulled into the gate from inside the principals office of all things. She remembered having her backpack on her shoulders as the gate had pulled her inside. And that creepy secretary. She had happened to look at her and smile as she was pulled through. Tara had more or less dismissed it as a creepy coincidence. _But what if it wasn't?_

She looked at Truth slowly. "Someone put the stone in my bag?"

Truth looked ecstatic. "Correct answer! How smart some humans can be!"

Tara barely registered him. Her mind was whirling with too many questions. So she had the stone. She had a legit Philosopher's Stone. The thing the two brothers were looking for throughout the _entire series._ She could just as easily give it to them and get their bodies back, right?

_No._

Tara almost slapped herself for being so stupid. She couldn't do that. For two reasons. The stone was made of human lives. It would be selfish to use it just for one sole purpose. The Elric brothers would realize that soon enough. That led to the second reason. She didn't want to alter the time line. The stone is what kept the brothers on their feet for most of the journey. She couldn't let them use it now. Not before the Promised Day. Amestris would be in shambles if that happened, and the homunculi would be free to rule. She couldn't let that happen.

But there was one thing she was still looking for in this whole visit. "What is my toll?"

Truth smiled. "Persistent, aren't we? Alright. Your toll is right behind you."

Tara spun around immediately to face the towering gate she knew was behind her. Her gate. The gate that would provide her her ticket home. The tiny spark of hope that held her to the belief that she just might be able to return instantly vanished, leaving her in the darkness of despair and hurt. She had started to accept that she couldn't return. But there was always some hope that she would find an answer, or that maybe she could get the Elric brothers to help her. But now it was evident that she would never be able to return home. Never.

"Humans are pathetic." Truth's comment dragged her back to the present. She listened silently. "They give up before they consider the options. I haven't taken the gate, child. I have only sealed it."

The spark of hope returned to her. Only faintly. "And what do I have to do to open it again?"

Truth's smile faded, leaving an almost serious expression on his face. This almost frightened Tara, as she had never seen this in the anime. Only a shocked expression differed from its usual smile. It hissed to her, "This Gate can only be opened under special terms now. In order for you to get back home, Tara Rishimane, you must learn to become Pure of Heart."

Tara looked at Truth. "Okay.. So what is that supposed to mean?"

Truth only stared at her, it's grin returning. "Remember, Tara Rishimane. You must become Pure of Heart. The Promised Day is quickly approaching. Use your time wisely."

The Gate behind Truth opened. Arms spat out and grabbed Tara's arms, dragging her forward. But she didn't want to go yet. She couldn't go yet! But the arms dragged her forward into the Gate, and she was succumbed into the darkness yet again.

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**Now you can see why this story is called Pure. Warning, the summary of this story will be changed by the time I post the next chapter. Enjoy guys, see ya soon!**


	14. Important: Authors Note - Please Read

**Hey guys, This is EeveeAlchemist here. Listen, I'm kind of stuck. I know where I want this story to go, but I don't know how to make it happen anymore because of the way I went with it. I have an idea of what I can do, but I've also had people complaining to me about my characters. I was thinking about doing a full rewrite, but first, I want to see what you guys think about it. I have a poll up on my profile. If you guys want me to continue this as it is, please either vote on my profile or drop a review / PM. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks everyone.**


	15. Chapter 14

**First of all, thank you to everyone who voted on the poll! I have decided to keep the story as it is. However, I will most likely eventually go back and make some adjustments to the previous chapters. I don't know exactly how many adjustments or how extreme they will be quite yet, so I will keep you guys posted! As a reward for being patient with me while I decided and giving me your support by voting, I tried my hardest to make this chapter longer than the others. I hope I did well! Thank you everyone! Chapter 14, here we go!**

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Chapter 14

~Tara's POV~

"Brother, she's waking up!"

Tara groaned and sat up slowly. She blinked her eyes open to find two faces watching her closely, both of them holding curiosity, though the shorter one turned quickly and pretended to hide it. She slowly took in the surroundings. Familiar white walls, bed in the corner. She was laying on what seemed to be the couch. Beside her was her bag along with her belongings that she had been messing around with earlier. They were scattered around the bag, her phone in a corner and the stone sitting a little ways behind it. The sight of the stone made Tara shiver slightly. It was enough of a shock to realize that she had one in her possession for the matter, but the fact that it had been used to get here was sickening to her. She had been using human lives without even knowing it. But was it really her fault? It was the secretary – No, the Truth – had forced it onto her. But she still had come over to this side, using the stone. And now she couldn't get back unless she achieved some sort of goal for Truth. "Pure of Heart.." She murmured the words quietly to herself, reminding herself of the said goal she had been sent to achieve.

"What was that?" A curious Alchemist broke into her thoughts. Apparently she had spoken louder than she had meant to. Tara looked back at him, deciding there was really no point in trying to keep anything a secret. "I had another visit with the creepy white kid."

Tara thought he got the reference, because Ed's eyes instantly narrowed and his lips curled back into a snarl. "Stupid Truth, what did he do this time?" She sighed. Here we go.

"He told me what my toll was. Apparently I did pay one."

Two heads snapped up as soon as she said "toll." Tara nodded, deciding to get straight to the point rather than wait for the blur of questions that she knew was to come. "He took my portal. My Gate, as you would call it." She shook her head. "He told me that I had to become Pure of Heart if I wanted to open it again."

Alphonse gave a light murmur of curiosity. "Pure of Heart? What does it mean?" How Tara wished she knew the answer to his question. It nagged her as well, and it frustrated her to no end that she didn't have a clue as to how to find the answer.

Keeping this in mind, she answered with a simple, "I don't know."

Al sat back on the floor, sighing. "I didn't think so.. Oh well, just more research for us, right? Something we can work on together, now that we all know about it." His voice held a small smile. Tara didn't need to see it to know it was there. He was trying to keep the mood positive, but successfully get his point across as well. She smiled back at him, grateful for the peaceful lecture.

Her smile faltered when she turned back to Edward. His eyes had hardened, cold and untrusting. "What is it?" She said slowly. "What's wrong?"

Ed scoffed. "This is all a bunch of stupid nonsense."

Tara bit her lip to hold back a sharp reply. There was a scolding reply of, "Brother," from Al, but neither the elder brother nor the girl seemed to pay much attention to it. Ed continued to glare for a minute before continuing. "You came to this side. How? Alchemy is impossible on your side of the Gate. You told us that yourself when you explained all of this crap about a story on your side that's all about us. So how did you end up here then? No one just magically starts using Alchemy because of some creepy woman at a schoolroom. It's not logical."

Time to spill some more beans. "Ready for some more shocking stuff?"

Both brothers seemed slightly taken aback, and Tara grimaced. Sure, she kept secrets, but was it really all that shocking that she was going to willingly share something..? Shaking it off, she picked up the necklace, feeling their gazes following her the entire way. She thrust the stone into Ed's face, startling him. "Do you know what this is?"

Ed studied it for a minute, then turned back to her, his gaze locking onto hers. Tara nodded to confirm his suspicions, then pulled the stone back away from his face. "Yes. It's a Philosopher's Stone. The mythical object to bypass Alchemy. The stone you've been searching for for years." She could see that Ed was struggling to decide which emotion he wanted to express from the way he simply stared at the stone. Alphonse made a small gasping sound, a sign that he was slightly shocked and quite a bit mesmerized. Tara might have found their actions a bit amusing, if it weren't for what she knew she had to do next.

Ed leaped forward, reaching for the stone. Tara stood and quickly held it out of his reach, anticipating that he might go for it. She stepped back a few feet, grasping the chain tightly and keeping it behind her back, a small glare fixed onto his eyes. Tara knew he wanted this stone so badly he could just taste it. She knew why he wanted it, and she felt absolutely terrible for not just giving it to him. However, he needed to learn why he couldn't use it. He needed to learn why he needed to find another way to bring his little brother's body back. "Edward. Stop, listen to me."

Her words seemed to have no effect on the furious Alchemist, as he lunged again. "Give me the stone! I need it! You know that I need it!"

Tara dodged again, running to the other side of the room. "I know you do! But you need to stop for a minute and think!"

Ed snarled, advancing on her again. "What the Hell is there to think about? I need that stone to get my brother's body back! You of all people should get that! You have one in plain sight. Why can't I use it!? It's right there.. Right in front of me. And all that's stopping me from getting it is you."

Tara suddenly felt a cold chill run down her spine as he finished. She was scared now. Yes, she knew that Ed wanted this stone. Needed the stone. And she would give it to him, if it weren't for what it was made of. If Tara gave the stone to him now, and he found out what the stone required later, it would inevitably make things much worse. But Ed sounded like he was about ready to kill her just to get the stone. Though Tara knew that he would never do such a thing, she felt frozen. Would he hurt her?

Luckily, a suit of armor took action right about then and grabbed Edward by the hood of his coat. "Brother, that's enough. Let her explain."

Tara expelled a huge sigh of relief as the blonde reluctantly sat down. "Thanks, Al. Now, as I was saying, Ed, you need to stop and think about this first. As much as you want the stone, you need to consider what the price of using the stone may be."

Edward sneered. "The stone doesn't need any sacrificing. It bypasses those laws."

Tara looked at him thoughtfully. "Correct.. But even then. You don't know how to properly use the stone, do you?"

She had gotten him with this one. And Edward knew it. Tara internally smirked at the scrunched up glare he was giving her. It wasn't necessarily the fact that someone had to know how to "use" a stone. Tara only wanted to keep everything on track with the timeline. In order to do so, she could not allow the Elric brothers to acquire the stone and use it. The best way to prevent that from happening was to convince them that they needed to know more about the ways of the Philosopher's stone. Besides, they would change their minds anyway, most likely. She continued, "The stone has unlimited power. However, just think. If you accidently misplace this power, some really bad things could happen, right? So isn't it best to learn a bit more before trying?"

Ed growled at her, a sure sign that Tara had won this fight. He said nothing more after that, instead simply turning away from her. Alphonse sighed and continued the conversation. "So, if we need to learn more, where do you suggest we start? We have Marcoh's notes, but the library was destroyed."

She smiled. That, at least, she could give them a straight answer on. "Go get Second Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. I have someone you guys will probably be very pleased to meet."

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~Alphonse's POV~

Alphonse was very confused when Tara led them to a small house in a cozy neighborhood of Central. She was smiling widely as she approached the door, almost as if she was extremely excited for something. Was there something in the timeline that was supposed to happen right around here? He watched her curiously as she put her hands on the door, expecting her to knock. So he was completely taken off guard when she simply flung the door open. There was a small gasp as Ross pushed past him and stared into the house. "Tara, isn't it impolite to not.."

Her words trailed off. Confused, Al stepped forward and peered into the door. What he saw shocked him. Mountains of books filled every corner of the house, some reaching all the way to the ceiling. There was barely any room to walk, it seemed. Little paths outlined the edges of the walls, though the walls were barely visible behind the bookcases that lined each square inch of each one. With the books on the shelves, on the floor, and outlining every inch of the house, Alphonse was at a loss of how a person could possibly live here. There didn't seem to be any living space at all in this house. Whoever lived in it, if someone did in fact live in it, must find it extremely hard to live in these conditions..

Tara led the group into the house without invitation. Al followed hesitantly, not exactly sure what they were looking for, until Tara yelled, "Sheska! Where are you?" So it was a person that they were looking for. He began to call the person's name as well, trying to imagine just exactly what kind of person could be able to live in a mess such as this, when Edward stopped for a second in front of him. "Sheska. I remember that name. She was the girl that worked at the first branch, wasn't she?"

Tara nodded. "Right. She might know something about the notes. I figured you guys might like to meet her."

So that was why. Al nodded, making sense of the present events. Now he was eager to meet this person, as they could hold the next lead to their research. Al called again, listening to the others as he went, glancing at the piles of books as he passed them. After a few calls, he stopped. A faint sound was coming from farther into the room. He looked around and spotted a pair of glasses on top of a pile of books. The cry came slightly louder, enough so that Al could make sense of it. "Help me!"

Al felt his stomach drop (metaphorically). Ed glanced curiously at him, so Al pointed his brother in the right direction. "Brother.. I think there's someone buried under there.."

Two seconds later, everything clicked into place. The five intruders sped forward, and the books began to fly. Alphonse dug through the pile faster than he had dug through anything in his life. By the time they were done, he was thoroughly exhausted, even though he didn't really know the feeling of tiredness. They had uncovered a girl with frazzled short brown hair, the glasses from before perched on her nose, and an extremely apologetic face. She bowed towards him, apologizing repeatedly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I accidently knocked over a mountain of books, I thought I was going to die under there!"

Tara stood up before Al had a chance to assure her it was all right. "Excuse me, Miss Sheska. My name is Tara Rishimane, and these are my friends, Edward and Alphonse Elric," She began, gesturing towards Al and his flustered brother. "We understand that you worked at the First Branch at one time, and were wondering if you found anything by a man called Tim Marcoh?"

Sheska seemed to think hard about it. Out of the corner of his eye, Alphonse saw Tara heave a sigh, seemingly of relief. Sending a questioning glance her way, Tara gave him a small wink in response. Al shoved the thought away. Maybe she would tell him later.

Sheska clapped her hands together, making Al's thoughts return to her. Sheska smiled and nodded, "Yes, Tim Marcoh! I remember! There was a book shoved into a section where it didn't belong."

Al felt his heart soar. It really had been there! He saw that his brother was feeling the same way, for Ed had jumped up, eyes shining. "It really was there!"

Their moment of glory was cruelly smashed down as the truth reminded them that the branch had burned down. This, of course, meant that the book had also burned along with the library itself. Al watched sullenly as his brother once again hit his knees and knelt on the floor in self pity. He felt the same way. There went their lead once again, so close, yet so far..

"Would you like to read them? Is that why you're asking?" Sheska's curious question once again penetrated through his gloom. Al stood, Ed following him and responding, "Yeah, but they were burned up along with the library." He began to walk towards the door. Al followed him, but stopped as Tara caught his gaze again, smirking slightly.

A minute later, Alphonse realized why. Sheska spoke out again, "I can remake a copy of the book for you if you like."

Both Alphonse and Edward stared at the girl. Remake an entire book, from memory? Alphonse could hardly believe what he was hearing. Sheska seemed to notice their surprise and smiled nervously. "It's just the way I am! I'm able to remember everything I read word for word! It's not too much trouble, and if you want it I don't mind.."

Al didn't even bother to listen to what she said after that. Happiness bubbled up inside his hollow body, filling it with enough joy to where he thought he could start dancing in the middle of the room if he could. He was aware of Ed shaking a flustered Sheska's hand, blubbering out thanks while the two military officers stood in the background quietly. He then looked around. Tara was standing behind him, smiling cheerfully at him. That's when it struck Alphonse. She had known about this all along. She knew that Sheska held the research they needed. Tara nodded to him, as though she could tell what he was thinking. She walked a little closer to him and whispered, a small smile plastered onto her face, "You're welcome."

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**Please review guys! Reviews keep me going, keep me writing! Please Please Please review!**


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